The Cabbage Patch Fib by Paul Jennings

One evening around the tea table Dad insists on intelligent discussion, and that's when Chris pops the question, "Where do babies come from, Dad?" Well, Dad doesn't give an intelligent answer at all, in fact he tells Chris that they grow out of cabbages at night. Intrigued by this, later that evening just before bedtime Chris grabs a torch and begins his search for a baby in the family's cabbage patch. Bingo! He finds one and it  is a little boy and it is green. He is suitably impressed, but about to find out the hard way just how demanding caring for a baby can be, especially this one which starts to change colour and die if he so much as hands it to anyone else to care for for more than a minute. He has to take it to school with him, miss out on his favourite lessons and playing British Bulldog in the breaks, and what's even worse, he has to change the disgusting yellow nappies whilst the whole class looks on! So what can he possibly do to make his life easier? Craig Smith's ink illustrations are entertaining within themselves.  This book is an easy read but entertaining.

This one of Jenning's stories included in the Round the Twist series. Click on the link below to preview it. It is a little different from the story but just as enjoyable as the book.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4QJ2Uexz4M

Unmentionable by Paul Jennings

Paul Jennings surely is the Australian master of the humorous short story. I picked this book up intending to read a couple of the stories and read the lot in one sitting. These stories will hook you in. There are nine stories in all: Ice Maiden, Birdman, Little Squirt, The Mouth Organ, The Velvet Throne, Cry Baby, Ex Poser, Sloppy Jalopy, and...Eyes Know. Birdman is my favourite story from this book. It is all about a birdman contest, for which the kids all make flying contraptions to see how far they can fly after jumping off the local pier. Sean isn't doing so well especially after his arch enemy steals his glider. But he finds a hat made from a cat on the beach. Now this cat is something of copy cat and when a person puts it on their head strange things can happen. Unmentionable will leave you thinking what a boring life you lead.

Undone! by Paul Jennings

This book, a multi award winner, is another collection of short stories from Jennings and they all have twists in their tails. There are eight stories in all. Here is a brief summary about each...

Batty: This story is set in the bush and its all about a boy who has been raised by bats.

Moonies: An illiterate boy moves to a new school, and after signing a contract he can't read, discovers that he has to moon the principal. Now, this is definitely something that someone in their right mind would never do.

Noseweed: A boy is staying with his grandad and is a bit over all the healthy food he has to eat there. One day the boy has to drink cod liver oil that has been mixed with museli and he just can't bring himself to swallow it. That is when a strange sprout appears from his nose.

Wake Up to Yourself: This story is about dreams and reality and there is a young lad who can't distinguish one from the other and all the problems that are associated with this.

Thought Full: Set on a farm this tale features a magic bottle. Now when you drink from this bottle it enables you to read other peoples' minds.

Clear as Mud:er Imagine becoming invisible when you are bitten by a bug. Well in this story magic, biting bug meets bully boy Eric Mud who is about to get much more than he bargained for.

What a Woman: Sally doesn't want to go to school, and you can't really blame her. You see, she is the only girl in the school. The boys are relentless in their bullying of her but one day something happens to turn her luck around...

You Be the Judge: If you eat someone, you are a cannibal. What are you then, if you drink someone? Is this even possible. This story is set in the desert and the main character is in a desperate situation.

There are three copies of this book in the Little Library of Rescued Books so you could read it along with a couple of friends.

Here is the covers from the other version of the book. This one overlays the one below.

Singenpoo Shoots Through by Paul Jennings

This is the third book in the Singenpoo series. Scott has since left the take-away shop and is now working for The Boss in a carnival doing shows with Singenpoo. Most of the other acts in the show are fake and The Boss doesn't believe that Singenpoo really can read. Scott even has his own caravan to live in but something at the carnival is not right, there is a sad old man there called Jack who seems to be being held captive there. Singenpoo takes a real liking to Jack and Scott is determined to find out what is the big secret about Jack.

The Paw Thing by Paul Jennings

Scott works at Major Mac's take-away chicken joint and there he become acquainted with Singenpoo the cat. Why such a weird name for a cat? Well, it so happened that Sigenpoo once swallowed a radio and as a result her owner, Mac, made her sit her on a chair every evening with her mouth open so he could listen to the news. She also had to follow him around everywhere so he could listen to music. One day, Mac found a cat poo singing the song "Please release me, Let Me Go" and that's when he recovered the radio. Anyway, Singenpoo wasn't much of a mouser and Mac was not hapy with her at all, and even less so when his secret recipe for making delicious fried chicken goes missing and a rival take-away is selling chicken that tastes suspiciously like his recipe. Singenpoo gets the blame and is going to be put down, and that's when kind-hearted Scott comes to her rescue. This is a humorous story and the illustrations by Keith McEwan add to the comical situations. It's a small book and could be read in one or two silent reading sessions.

The Gizmo Again by Paul Jennings

Not really into big novels that take a while to read? This small novel which deals with bullying and bystanders and is a quick and enjoyable read. Jack is being bullied, and relentlessly, so he decided it is time he joined Gutsit's gang, at least that way may they might leave him alone. However, he finds himself caught up in their disgusting acts and doing things he doesn't really like. Then out of the blue Mr Whippy gives him a gizmo, and now he has even more to worry about. Whilst this books deals with the complexities of bullying, it also has many light-hearted moments that will have you very amused. It could be read in a couple of hours and might just make you a fan of Paul Jennings who has a lot to offer upper primary students. We have two copies in our little library so you could read it with a friend.

Deadly, Grope (Book 5) by Morris Gleitzman & Paul Jennings

I don't think too much of her green lipstick, but remember the golden rule; don't judge a book by its cover. So this is book five in the Deadly series and Amy is on a mission to rescue Sprocket, who has been kidnapped. They get to drive a Hummer, wish I had a Hummer. This time there is a weird nudist colony. And what are the weird scientific experiments which are keeping the colonists alive? The books says you could die laughing...but I don't think you will. We have all the books in this series except for book 3 in our Little Library of Rescued Books.

The Gizmo by Paul Jennings

Now looking at the cover you'd think this one was all about Christmas decorations and you have to ask yourself who's so daft that they'd put paper clips in their ears? To top it all off, one of the character's names is Floggit. The main character, Stephen, is plain weird and some gizmos are pretty weird, but this one is the weirdest one ever...and...it won't go away. Stephen's bra is starting to slip. His pantyhose are sagging and his knickers keep falling down. Oh, the shame of it all! He stole this gizmo, and now it's paying him back. If you enjoyed the book Sucked In, you'll love this one

Deadly! Brats by Paul Jennings & Morris Gleitzman

This little book is number 2 in the series called Deadly but could be read without the others. I believe all of the six stories are available in one volume now. When Amy arrives home for her birthday tea, her parents have vanished and in their place is a baby she's never seen before. At around the same time Sprocket wakes up naked on a deserted mountainside and realises that he has lost his memory. Both kids set out on journeys to find the people they belong to, little knowing that they will soon join forces and embark, with the baby, on the deadliest quest of their lives We also have books 1, 4,5, and 6 in the Little Library of Rescued Books.

Tongue-Tied! by Paul Jennings

Have you ever swallowed a live fish or seen bugs in hailstones? Do you have luminous teeth? Have you been a ghost in a past life? The kids in the stories have had some pretty incredible and funny experiences. Read all about them in these eight stories. This book is as good as a Jenning’s book gets.

Paul Jenning's Spookiest Stories by Paul Jennings

The author Paul Jennings is a former teacher and university lecturer who believes that kids who don't like to read are just disinterested. To prove it, he came up with an approach that appeals to even the most reluctant reader. This book, like his other collations of stories won't disappoint. This anthology boasts twenty of Paul's spookiest, fun-filled yarns, hand picked by Paul himself from his 'UN' collection. Below is a link to Paul talking about himself and his suburb:

http://www.pauljennings.com.au/video.asp

Sucked in: the Story of an Appendix on the Loose by Paul Jennings

If you enjoy really silly stories, or stories by Andy Giffith, you’ll love this one. It is all about a removed appendix who loves the boy he came from, and cannot bear to live without him. The boy loves his appendix too. They are separated and the appendix goes berserk and escapes his medical jar, wriggling around the town eating animals. It becomes more and more absurd and the ending is pretty nonsensical but it is good fun. The coloured illustrations by Terry Denton really complement the text. There is an appendix at the back of the book which fits nicely with the theme of the book wherein the author and illustrator exchange insults. It’s a very funny read for all ages and adults. Visit Paul's website by clicking on the link below the picture. Little Squirt, taken from his book Unmentionable, is worth a listen.

http://www.pauljennings.com.au/audio.asp